Some of my best writing has come from those deep places in my heart – the hurts I’ve experienced, the greatest joys, the deepest places of sorrow. But it’s awfully hard to put that out there, to let other people read about it. It’s a little bit like those embarrassing dreams about being naked in public.

But the beauty of fiction is that you can bare your soul, pour out your personal feelings, without anyone knowing that it’s really you. (Of course, now everyone who reads my books will be wondering … 😉 )

The beauty of fiction is that you can bare your soul anonymouslyClick to Tweet

What is the point, really, of going through the emotional experiences of life if you don’t use them for something. Maybe you have the power to ease someone’s pain, to encourage them, to highlight the blessings in their lives. I’ve read books that have done that. And I hope that the books I write can do that for someone else. Otherwise, why write?

Now it’s your turn. Take a really good look at your writing. Are you just scratching the surface? Are you afraid to tap into those painful places in yourself? What is holding you back?

I do this subconsciously with everything I write and every time I read something back I’m surprised at how much it mirrors my real life. At first it’s terrifying because I feel so exposed but then I realize how much stronger the piece is with that added personal emotion.

It has always seemed to me that some of the scenes in novels are the ones that incorporates moments from the author’s life, however obvious it may be. Those scenes always resonate so much stronger with readers. Perhaps that is because without trying to, it is easy to capture our own emotions and leave them on the page, especially as you mentioned, it can feel like it has been anonymously done. Emotions are one thing that every human can relate to.

Writing honestly, regardless of the medium, not only connects the reader to the story but connects you to your own story. Writing gives you more clarity. You’re not the same person after you write your story, in a way, you’ve graduated from it.